Republican 2016 debate: Winners and losers in five key fights

 

There was a whiff of desperation in the air - along with the sizzle of political pyrotechnics - as Republican candidates took the stage for Wednesday night's presidential debate on cable news network CNBC

Fewer than 100 days remain until the first votes are cast in Iowa, and if one of the many candidates languishing in the polls is going to make a move, time is running out.

Although the debate stretched for more than two hours, its lasting importance can likely be distilled down to the outcome of five key confrontations - and who came out on top.

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John Kasich v Donald Trump and Ben Carson

Ohio Governor John Kasich - who recently expressed disgust with the state of the Republican race - was an early aggressor, taking thinly veiled shots at both Donald Trump and Ben Carson and their "fantasy" budget plans.

"Folks, we've got to wake up," he said. "We cannot elect somebody that doesn't know how to do the job."

The responses from the two front-running outsider candidates perfectly illustrated their different temperaments and campaign styles.

Carson had earlier said he would "not be engaging in awful things about my compatriots here" and stuck with it, ignoring the governor's jabs.

Trump, of course, shot back, noting the governor was going on the attack because his poll numbers have "tanked", resulting in his position on the end of the stage.

"He got nasty," Trump said. "So you know what? You can have him."

Winner: Trump won the battle, blunting Kasich's attack in his dismissive style, but Carson likely won the war. The retired neurosurgeon offered a third-straight somnambulant debate performance, which means he'll probably be the undisputed frontrunner when the next polls come out.

Marco Rubio v Jeb Bush

It was the Florida showdown everyone has been waiting for. After Rubio parried away a question about missing more than 60 Senate votes while campaigning for president, Bush went on the attack, likening the ease of Senate duties to a "French work week".

"Marco, when you signed up for this, this was a six-year term, and you should be showing up to work," he said. "You can campaign, or just resign and let someone else take the job."

Like a judo master, however, Rubio sent the assault back from whence it came.

The only reason Bush was coming after him, Rubio said, is because "we're running for the same position, and someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you."

After that blow, Rubio sought the high ground.

"My campaign is going to be about the future of America," he said. "It's not going to be about attacking anyone else on this stage. I will continue to have tremendous admiration and respect for Governor Bush."

In the very next question, Bush was asked to explain his sinking poll numbers and floundering campaign. It was a devastating few minutes for Bush and likely has more than a few major media outlets freshening up the former governor's political obituaries.

How hard do the French work?

Winner: Rubio, relentlessly on message throughout, won this exchange and likely had the best overall performance of the evening.

Ted Cruz v CNBC

If there was a clear kill shot on Wednesday night, it came when Ted Cruz turned on the CNBC debate moderators with unrestrained gusto.

"The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don't trust the media," he said.

"Donald Trump, are you a comic book villain? Ben Carson, can you do math? John Kasich, will you insult two people over here? Marco Rubio, why don't you resign? Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen? How about talking about the substantive issues?"

He added that nobody believed that any of the moderators have any intention of voting in a Republican primary.

Despite two obvious ironies - that Cruz gave that answer in response to a substantive question about the debt limit and one of the CNBC questioners is widely credited with inspiring the conservative grass-roots Tea Party movement - the audience erupted with the loudest cheers of the evening.

Winner: If Rubio wasn't the clear winner of the debate, it's only because Cruz offered an equally compelling performance. Other candidates would follow suit in media-bashing, but Cruz got there first - and with the most memorable lines.

Migrant crisis: Austria plans Slovenia border fence

Austria has said it is planning to construct a fence at the main border crossing used by migrants entering the country from Slovenia.

Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said the move would not shut the border, but would allow better control of arrivals.

It came as Germany said it expected the number of deportations of failed asylum seekers to rise.

Meanwhile, three migrant boats have capsized between Turkey and the Greek islands.

 Austria and Germany, the two countries at the heart of Europe's refugee crisis, seem to be toughening their tone.

They appear to be trying to deter refugees from setting out on their journeys and to head off political critics at home, he adds.

The UN estimates more than 700,000 migrants have crossed to Europe by boat so far this year - mainly from war-ravaged Syria. The approach of winter has so far done little to slow the flow.

The latest moves came after Slovenia said it could erect a fence along its border with Croatia if an EU plan agreed on Sunday was not implemented. It follows suggestions from Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria that they might begin building their own barriers.

Some 85,000 refugees have poured into Slovenia in the last 10 days, after Hungary closed its border with Croatia.

On Sunday, 11 EU states and three non-EU countries agreed to set up reception centres with another 50,000 spaces in Balkan countries, and send 400 guards to assist Slovenia within a week. But EU members have previously been slow to deliver on pledges of such assistance.

"If the situation worsens and the Brussels action plan is not fulfilled, then Slovenia has several scenarios prepared, including the installation of a fence guarded by forces," said Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec.

Hungary has already fenced off its border with Serbia and Croasuch a move would, in theory, mean sealing off that route entirely.

Syria conflict: Iran to attend talks in Vienna

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will attend multilateral talks on finding a political solution to the conflict in Syria in Vienna this week, a government spokeswoman has said.

It will be the first time Iran - an ally of President Bashar al-Assad - has attended such a summit with the US.

Representatives of Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey will also attend the talks.

Earlier, the US said an invitation had been extended to Iran - a move Syria's Western-backed opposition questioned.

Meanwhile, Russia said its aircraft had struck 118 "terrorist" targets in Syria over a 24-hour period - a new record - as a result of what its defence ministry said was new intelligence.

The main round of talks on Syria is expected to take place on Friday, but diplomats say some preparatory meetings could happen on Thursday evening.

Washington struggles for clear line on Syria

"We have reviewed the invitation, and it was decided that the foreign minister would attend the talks," Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said.

Egypt and Iraq also confirmed they had accepted invitations to the meeting.

BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins says that while the US is certainly not welcoming Iran to the Syria talks, it will now tolerate Tehran's involvement.

Iran's Fars news agency said Mr Zarif had discussed participation in the Vienna talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by phone on Tuesday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later told reporters that Russia wanted a "widening of the dialogue" on Syria.

Iran is believed to have spent billions of dollars over the past four years propping up President Assad's government, providing military advisers and subsidising weapons.

However, Syria's political opposition has warned that Iran's involvement will only complicate the meeting in Vienna.

Both Iran and Russia - another ally of President Assad - have recently stepped up their military role in the Syrian conflict.

Iran has long acknowledged sending military advisers to Syria, but has denied the presence of any ground forces.

Despite that, unconfirmed reports earlier this month said that hundreds of Iranian troops had arrived in Syria.

They were reported to be joining government forces and fighters from the Lebanese Shia Islamist movement, Hezbollah, in assaults on rebel positions in northern and central Syria.

Russia began its military intervention in Syria at the end of last month, launching air strikes in support of President Assad.

Russia and Iran have insisted that Mr Assad must be part of any transition government and that the Syrian people must be allowed to decide who governs them.

The US has indicated it could only tolerate President Assad during a short transition period, after which he should step down.

Balkans sceptical over EU plans

Southeast European countries facing an unprecedented influx of migrants reacted cautiously Monday  to new EU plans to help stem the crisis,following an emergency mini summit at the weekend.The European Union pledged to help set up 100,000 places in reception centers along the migrant route through the Balkans, in a bid to defuse the rising tensions on its eastern frontier as tens of thousands pass through on their way to northern Europe. A 17- point plan, announced after emergency talks between the heads of 10 EU nations and non-EU Albania, Serbia and Macedonia, including an undertaking that no country will let migrants through to an adjoining state without first getting their neighbor,s agreement.
Another key element of the plan is to speed up information exchange between countries to coordinate their efforts. It is crucial that commitment are fulfilled in practice. If that does not happen from (Monday) on the situation will not improve significantly . In such a case , we continue along the path that I referred to at my arrival, he said, in reference to his comments ahead of the summit that the EU would start" falling apart" without immediate, concrete actions. More than 670,000 people have reached European soil this year- many of them fleeing violence in Syria,Iraq and Afghanistan- in the continents worst migration crisis since word war II.
Some3000 have died making the dangerous's Mediterranean sea crossing and, with winter fast approaching,the fear is that more could face the same fate on the land route through the Balkans. tension have also grown after Bulgaria,Romania and Serbia warned over the weekend they could close their borders to stop them becoming a "buffer zone" for the streams of people entering Europe every  day. Macedonian president warned that his tiny Balkan nation ,a key transit state, could host a maximum of 2000 migrants if crossing points were shut down.
the EU new reception places, to be provided with the help of the United Nation refugee agency. the UNHCR  will help provide shelter and speedup registration of migrants, according to European Commission president.
Some50,000 places will be created across Balkan countries such a Macedonia and Serbia,while the other half will be located in Greece. 

Hurricane Patricia, The strongest strom recorded in the Americas history

The storm touched down in western mexico, bringing ddestructive winds and rain, but heavy damage appears to have been avoided.The US National Hurricane Center said the Hurricane hit as a category Five storm, the highest classification . It said " life threatening flash floods and mudslides here now likely.The states of Nayarit,Jalico,Colima,Michoacah and Guerrera are in particular danger as the storm moves inland.The Center says, Four hours after making landfall as the strongest recorded hurricane, Patricia weaker ed  to a category Four and is likely to be downgraded to a tropical storm in the coming hours as it passes over mountainous regions." The first reports confirm that the damage has been smelter than that corresponding to a hurricane of this magnitude," Mexicos,s president  said in a televised Address. Mexican federal police said,only Minor  landslides and fallen trees, had so far been reported in Colima.
But the Government has warned that ash from the Colima Volcano, Which has became increasingly active this year could combine with heavy rainfall to trigger huge mud flows.Some 400000 people live in vulnerable areas, according to Mexico National  Disaster Fund.